Heating apparatus



Nov. 1, 1932. A. B. MODINE 1,885,371

` HEATING APPARATUS l Filed Aug. 9. 1929 5 sheets-sheet 1 A Wifi/,S

Nov. l, 1932. A. B. MoDlNE 1,885,371

HEATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 1929 s .sheets-sheet 2 /27217765 5.' v ldri/77111" B /Waczne Ncv. 1, 1932. A, E, MODlNE 1,5937@ HEATINGAPPARATUS Filed Aug. 9. 1929 3 Sheets-smeert1 v Patented Nov. l, E932 tUNi'rEn STATES 's PATEIN dori-*ica ARTHUR B. MODINE, OF RACINE,WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO MODINE MANUFACTURING l COMPANY, F RACINE,WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION O F WISCONSIN HEATING APPARATUS Applicationfiled August 9, 1929. Serial No. 384,733.

My invention relates to heating apparatus and hasto do more particularlywithdevices of the type referred to which are particularly adapted forheating a factory or other enclosure used for industrial purposes,although it will be readily understood that devices embodying myinvention will havea Wide range of applicability. The invention has asone of its principal objects the provision of a heating unit which maybe set up upon the floor of an establishment and which will take therelatively cool air from adjacent the floor and deliver the air in aheated condition to the room in which the device is located.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device which willcause circulation of air from the floor or lower portion of the room`and deliverthe air a heated condition in several directions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of fans and a motorfor operating the fans for causing a circulation of air throu h and fromthedevice. Thus, devices embo ying my invention may be convenientlypositioned more' or less centrally in an enclosure, from whichpositionlthey will direct heated air in a. plurality'of directions.

y Anotherobject of the invention is the proI visionl of a simplestructure providing a connect'ion between the piping of the heatingsystem and certain radiators employed in the device whereby a heatexchange Huid passage between the piping of the system and the radiatorsis produced and to employ said structure as a support for the motor andfans.

o A further object of-my invention is to prov1de a device of the typereferred to which rwill be particularly compact and composed of arelatively small number of simple parts, inexpensive to manufacture,easy to assemble and demount. y

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown anddescribed will c claims.

be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this end my invention consists in thel .novel construction,arrangement'and combination ofY partsherein shown and described, andmore particularly pointed out in the In the drawings, wherein likereference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a heater bodying my invention;-

v Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the'line 2 2 of F ig. 1;\

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the heater, indicatedgenerally at in Fig. 1, isl supported from the floor by means yof legs12. A casing member 13 is carried by the legs 12 and the heater 10 islocated at the upper end of this casing. The lower end of the casing islocated relatively to the floor so as to provide aspace 14 which permitsair to enter the bottom of this casing and be directed to the heatingdevice to be -heated thereby and discharged into the room. In theparticular embodiment shown, the casing 13 is rectangular having front,rear and side walls 15.

The heater 10 comprises a pair fofradiator units 18 and 18(Fi 3) havingmanifolds 20 and 21, respective y, located at the opposite ends thereof.These manifolds as best seen in Figs. 2 and 4 are substantially H-shaped and communicate with said radiators, it being understood thatthese manifolds are respectively connected with the supply and returnpipes of the heating system. The radiators 18 and 18 are each providedat their opposite ends Awith a tank respectively designated 23 and 23',the latter of which is secured -to the manifold by means of bolts 24threadedly engaging spider-like members 25 preferably formed integrallyin the manifolds, as best seenin Fig. 3. The manifolds 2O and 21 areapertured as at 26 to register with apertures 27 yin the tanks such as23, gaskets 28 being interposed between the tanks and manifolds at thesepoints so I closed by a header plate 30. To this end the parallel sidewalls of the tank are grooved as indicated atl 16 to receive theopposite edges of the walls of the tanks 23. These header plates providemeans in which to mount the ends of radiator tubes 32 on which tubes aremounted a plurality of vanes or fins 33. The vanes or fins are formed ofany suitable material having high heat conductivity, but are preferablyformed of sheet metal or the like. l

It will be readily apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3 that the lowermanifold 21 is substantially similar to the upper manifold 20 and hasits opposite ends connected to the tanks 23 in a manner similar to thetanks 23, the latter of which are substantially similar to the tanks 23.It is also evident that the tubes 32 serve as a meansof communicationbetween the tanks 23 and the tanks 23.

The connection between the upper man1'- fold and the supply side of thecirculating systemds formed by a nipple 35 which is threaded into themanifold 2 0, the nipple being connected with conduit 38 of the supplyside of the heating system by means of a union 37. l'Ihe manifold 21 is,as before stated, connected with return side 43 of the system by meansof a nipple 40,. which serves as a drain for the exhaust fluid. Asbefore stated, means is provided for driving the heated air from thedevice. To this end a motor 48 is employed having fans 49 and 50 securedto a shaft 51 thereof, the motor being supported by the manifold 20 bymeans of a platform. 52 which is suspended from said manifold by hangers53, which are in turn mounted in laterally extendin bosses 54. By the.arrangement just descrl d the motor' is arran ed within a. casing whichincludes the ra iators 18 and 18 with ythe fans located with respect tothe radiators to draw relatively cool air thro'ugh the casing `13 anddischarge it in a yheated condition from the radiators and into theroom. Means is provided at the upper end of the structure for compellingthe heated air to be dischargedthrough the-radiators. To this end acover plate 55 .is attached to the top of the manifold 21 by anysuitable means. Thus, it will be seenl that the heater 10 comprisessubstantially a housing for the motor and fans, which housing is formedbythe front, side and rear'wal'ls 15, the top wall 55 and the heaters orradiators 18 and 18', the housing being open at the bottom.

In'the 'operatlon of the device, the motor 48 is connected to anysuitable source of electrical energy v(not shown). Obviously, theheating fluid will pass from the supply side ofthe system through themanifold 20,where` it vwill be divided, and directed so that part of thefluid passes through the heating unit 18 and part passes through theunit 18', the tanks 23', the manifold 21 and out through testant thenipple 40 to the return side of the system. It will be apparent that thefans 49 and 50 will draw air upwardly from the floor into the casing 13and project it outwardly in opposite directions through the heatingunits 18 and 18', these units serving to warm the air as it passestherethrough. Hence, a complete circulation of air will be maintainedwhereby the cool air from tie lower part of the room is continually beig removed and replaced by warm air. The motor 48, being disposed in thepath of the relatively cold air will be protected from injury due tooverheating.

Obviously, many modifications and various changes may be made inmy'invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For example,heating units such as the units 18 and 18' may be substituted for theside walls such as 15, and suitable means provided for directing aportion of the air through these heating units. In such an arrangement,it will be seen that heated air will be projected in substantially alldirections from the heater 10.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that variousimmaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing fromthe spirit of my invention;

hence, I do not wish to be understood VK"as limiting myself to thesexactform, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shownand described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 3 saidunits in a plurality of directions.

2. In a device of the class described, a housing, a plurality-ofradiator units forming walls of saidhousing, manifolds atthe" 3. In adevice of the class' describedfa y housing,.a pair of oppositelydisposed radiator units forming walls of said housing, H-shapedmanifolds at the top and bottom of said units respectively serving as afluid inlet and drain, and means Within said housing for inducing acurrent of air to How into said housing and outwardly therefrom throughsaid units in a plurality of directions. l

x 4. Ina device of the class described, a housing, a plurality ofradiator units forming walls'of said housing, manifolds'y at th'e'topand bottomv of said units for respectively conducting heat exchangefluid to said units and for draining said fluid therefrom, a pluralityof fans within said housing for inducing a current of air to flow intosaid housmg and outwardly therefrom through said units in a pluralityofdirections, and asingle motive means for operating said fans. A

5. In a device of the class described, a housing, a pair of oppositelydisposed radiator unitsn forming walls of said housing, iti-shapedmanifolds at the top and bottom of said units respectively serving asa-vuid -inlet and drain, a pair of 'fans .within "said .housing forinducing a current of air to flow into said housing and outwardlytherefrom .through said units in a plurality of direc-.

tions, a single shaft on the opposite ends of which said fans aremounted, and means supported within said housing for rotating .saidshaft and fans.

inlet vand drain, a pair of fans within said housing for inducing acurrent of air to flow into said housing and outwardly therefrom throughsaid units'in a plurality of directions,} a single shaft on the oppositeends of which said ,fans are mounted, and means suspended within saidhousing ,for rotating said shaft and fans; Y y

7. In a device of. the class described, a housing having a plurality ofopenings proyvided adjacent one end, members respectively providing aduid supply and return, saidi lmembers having their ends located at saidopenings, radiator units supported by said housing and means forconnectlng said umts with said ends and air advancing means ar-` ing anelement of. means for inducing a cur-" ranged .in said housing andvproviding an element of means for inducing a currentof air toflow intosaid housing and through said radiators.

8. In a device of the' class described a housing having a plurality ofopenings, Imembers supported byvsaid housing respectively pro\ viding afiuid supply and return, radiator units located at said openings andconnected with said members, and air advancing means arranged in saidhousing and providrent of air to floWjintoA said housing and throughsaid radiators. t 9. In a device of the ,class described, a

housing having a plurality v f openings,

` members supported by said housin respectively providing a fluid supplyan l return,

l and air propelling said members being located within said housmeansfor inducing a current of Aair to flow` into said housing and throughsaid radiator units. i

10. In a device of the class described, a housing, aeplurality ofradiator units forming Walls of said housing, means within said housingfor inducing a current of air to flow into said housing and outwardlytherefrom through. said umts in a ,plurality of 'direc-` tions, a Huidsupply and return connecting said radiators, said means being arrangedbetween -said duid supply and return and said radiators.

' ll. In a device of the class described, a plu-v ra-lity of radiatorunits forming walls of a heat exchange unit, means for supporting saidunit from a floor orthe like, and means within said unit for inducinga-current of air to flow upwardly intb 'said housing and outwardly in aplurality of directions through said units, a iuid supply and return forsaid radiators'securedto said supporting means, .and means profvidingmeans for separably connecting said units with said fluid supply andreturn.

12. Ina device of the class described, a heat exchange device includinga plurality of radiator units forming walls of said device, meansproviding asupply' and return for said units and providing supports forsaid units,

said means providing an element of means for conducting air from a pointadjacent said .t vdoor to said device, and means within said device forinducing a current of' air to flow upwardly through said air`conducting' means l into said device andou'twardly therefrom through`said unit in Aa pluralityof directions'.

13. In a device of the class described, a housing, a plurality ofradiator units forming lwalls of said housing, a pair of fans withinsaid housingfor inducing a current of air to flow into said' housin andoutwardly therefrom through said umts in a plurality of directions, asingle shaft on the opposite endsJ of which said fans are mounted, andmeans for rotating said shaft and fans, elements respectlvely providinga Huid supply and return for said units, one of said elements providinga support for said last mentioned means.

14. Ina duplex heating unit, spaced heat interchan ers each comprisingan upper and lower. hea 'er tank and a communicative heat transferringAcore, means connecting the upper header tanks ofsaid heat interchan rs,means .suspendedm said means comprising a motor'and spaced fans, one10eme adjacent each com for im. pelling a current of air outwardlythrough each core. s

15. In a heatinglunit of the class described, Y

spaced heat in'terc angers each` comprising an upper and lower headertank and an intercommunicative heat transferrin core, meanscommunicatively connectin e up r header tanks of each heat intere angeror facilitating the connection thereof in a fluid heating medium systemin parallel relation, a fan suspended from said means between said heatinterchangers comprising a fan propeller adjacent each heat transferringcore for propelling air outwardly therethrough, and

means commumcatively connecting the bottom header tanks for returningthe heating medium from the latter to said luidheating medium system.

, 16. A device of theclass described comprising spaced heating unitshaving ai`r passages therethrough, a bridge rigidly connecting saidheating units at thelr upper ends, and a fan located between saidheating units and suspended from said bridge comprising spaced fanpropellers, each of said fan propellers being located adjacent one ofsaid heating units and formed to impel a current of air outwardlythrough the passages therein.

In wit-ness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of July,A. D. 1929. t ARTHUR B. MODINE.

